Can reality and surrealism subsist peacefully in the same environment? This movie, due to his ambiguity, proves so. It is an out of the norm movie that combines faith, destiny, and reality into a perfect correlation.

Will Smith is like da best; the guy is so amazing that he either chooses amazing b-lls movies, or super random ones like this one where, even when succeed may not be a guarantee, the adrenaline of the unexpected most fulfill his spirit.

In Collateral Beauty, Howard (Will Smith), is an ideal boss; smart, motivated, a hard worker whose priority was nothing but the well-being of his employees, and the company itself. Employees adored him; going to the office was a joyful experience due to his mere presence. Suddenly, this person who was highly admired by his employees turns into a depressed, unmotivated individual who seems to be living in motion. The trigger of this drastic change of his behavior is accredited to the sudden death of his only daughter.

Howard depression and frustration start to take over his life; his brain becomes the worse possible place to cohabit. In a desperate attempt to release his sadness and anger, he starts writing letters to the three possible responsible for the tragic event. The first one that receives all the blame is Time. Howard complains that it was way too early; the way to soon, he blames him for coming at literally the wrong time. Death also had a very intrinsic and hateful letter direct to her; “you took the wrong person” he claimed, he couldn’t even recall how many times he desperately desired to take his daughter place. Lastly, Love also deserves a letter. Is it even real? If so, how didn’t you stop this? How all this immense love that I feel for my daughter was not enough?

Even when it was never part of the plan, unintentionally, his friends find all these letters, who had no real addressee, just a person Howard wish existed in order for him to have someone to blame.

In a desperate attempt to help his hopeless friend, they all agree to bring these characters to live. One actor and two actresses are hired to provide Howard with all the explanations he needed to move on. His friends and the actors performing the roles made sure that everyone around them pretended they couldn’t see them, so Howard did not doubt for a second that he was going nuts. Howard was able to have a conversation with each one of them, he had a chance to blame them, portrait all his hate, ask for explanations and why not, some sort of solution.

Due to his immense sadness, he stopped paying attention to his career, and he even left his wife; the trauma of the loss made it impossible for them to be together. His friends were pretty desperate since he was the only one capable of taking decisions in the company, so they decided to record him talking to his ”imaginary” friends and make it seem like he was going bananas. Due to his nonexistent mental illness, lawyers make him sign his resignation. One of the friends felt terribly guilty and confessed that it was all a plan they had to help him out. In the end, Howard finds himself not angry, but immensely grateful with his friends and what they did. He was able of not only getting over the traumatic incident but gain his wife back.

Main idea

With the right people around you, you can achieve and overcome basically anything. His friends are a living proof of the theory of “the end justify the means.” You have to pretend your friend is lunatic for talking to imaginary people that you actually pay to make “imaginary”? Say no more; I am in. That’s the type of sick friendship that will get you far in life.

How it made me better

The main realization I had with this movie is that it gave to time, love, and death a “voice”. They had the opportunity to say what they felt, and to make others understand the reasons behind their actions. The three of them portrait a clear message; even when you have no voice on their actions, you do are a hundred percent responsible for how you react to what they do.

Most importantly, t made me realizes that universe is a mysterious creature, which even sometimes don’t seem like it, is always working on our behalf.